Decision makers

Working class Florida tenants have been victimized and unprotected against Florida Landlords who have limited responsibility or regulations to maintain their properties and are not required to be financially accountable. They can at any time, file retaliatory actions against tenants they do not like, which can force tenants and families into homelessness. By filing fraudulent suits, they are also ruining the credit and credibility of many residents. Statistics would probably show that single women, women with children and minorities would be particularly vulnerable. To provide Landlords with even more protection without an honest, in depth look at what is happening to the tenants seems irresponsible. Please veto this bill and launch an investigation into the current practices and laws that are pro landlord and anti-tenant. It appears that it makes the assumption that the Landlord is always right, and tenants have no worth.

Changes sought to Florida’s Residential Landlord Tenant Act by SB 490 erode tenant protections and create more confusion than clarity to the Act, placing Florida’s 5 million residential tenants in jeopardy. This delete-all amendment proposed in Regulated Industries would, among other things:

ALLOW LANDLORDS TO EVICT WITHOUT NOTICE FOR MINOR VIOLATIONS Subject tenants to eviction without a termination notice by removing the requirement of the notice of termination in cases of a “right to cure” violation. For example, a college student parking in the wrong space anytime during a 12-month period after notice would be subject to eviction without notice and may have no idea why they are being evicted. (Section 8, 83.56 (2) (b))

CREATE A “PAY WHAT YOU CAN” PRACTICE BUT RISKING EVICTION Allow the landlord to accept partial rent and still evict the tenant – allowing landlord’s to abuse tenant’s by encouraging them to “pay what you have” but still evicting them, with no guarantee the tenant will receive a receipt or that the landlord will indicate the partial payment if an eviction is filed. (Section 8, 83.56(5)(a)

RENDER EVICTION NOTICES FOR APARTMENTS MEANINGLESS Allows landlords and their attorneys’ unlimited opportunity to “fix” notices no matter how glaring the error. Completely erodes the purpose of the notices – to provide tenants an opportunity to save their homes – since there will be no repercussions for inadequate notices. (Section 11, 83.60(1)(a))

TENANTS GET ONE SCREEN REPAIR A YEAR Current law requires landlords to maintain screens, crucial to the low income saving money on utilities. This bill bizarrely limits screen repair to once a year.

Protect Florida’s Tenants! VOTE NO ON HB 77in why someone should support this petition